Festival Line-Up

Avourneen, a Denver-based trio that specializes in Irish folk, doesn’t have direct geographic ties to Ireland. The band is composed of guitarist/vocalist Adam Goldstein, a Denver native; violinist CL Morden, an import from California; and Kenny Martinez, a longtime Colorado resident and talented bassist. Together, they play a brand of Celtic music that’s both timeless and innovative, a take on the genre the Celtic Connection calls “unique in Colorado – and perhaps in the country.”

The three members of Avourneen boast long résumés playing Irish, Scottish and Breton music. Before forming in 2014, Adam and CL were playing age-old tunes from Ireland professionally, while Kenny had built a vast repertoire of pop, jazz and folk music playing in a diverse set of bands. Goldstein (who claims the of moniker “Denver’s Favorite Irish Jew”) has long been a fixture at Denver’s Clocktower Cabaret and other local venues, where he plays Irish folk songs for the club’s popular burlesque and variety shows. Morden, a classically trained violinist who earned a bachelor’s from the prestigious Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, has experience as a member of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestral ensembles. Martinez, meanwhile, is a veteran of area rock, pop and jazz bands.

It was the music of Ireland that brought the three together, and they’ve made impressive strides in their time together.